covering America – block 48 West Virginia

West Virginia's early history from 1609 until 1863 is largely shared with Virginia, of which it was a part until Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government, which was granted statehood in 1863.

West Virginia is the only state in the Union to have acquired its sovereignty by proclamation of the President of the United States.

West Virginia is considered the southern most northern state and the northern most southern state. (huh?)

The first state sales tax in the United States went into effect in West Virginia on July 1, 1921.

On January 26, 1960 Danny Heater, a student from Burnsville, scored 135 points in a high school basketball game earning him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The first federal prison exclusively for women in the United States was opened in 1926 in West Virginia.

The New River Gorge Bridge near Fayetteville is the second highest steel arch bridge in the United States. The bridge is also the longest steel arch bridge (1,700 feet) in the world. Every October on Bridge Day, the road is closed and individuals parachute and bungee cord jump 876 feet off the bridge. Its West Virginia's largest single day event and attracts about 100,000 people each year.

West Virginia's nickname is the Mountain State and its motto is "Mountaineers Are Always Free."

Nearly 75% of West Virginia is covered by forests.

15% of the nation's total coal production comes from West Virginia.

According to the crime index for 1997, West Virginia had the lowest crime rate in the country.

The first rural free mail delivery was started in Charles Town on October 6, 1896, and then spread throughout the United States.

On February 14, 1824, at Harpers Ferry, John S. Gallaher published the "Ladies Garland," one of the first papers in the nation devoted mainly to the interests of women.

West Virginia has an mean altitude of 1,500 feet, giving it the highest average altitude east of the Mississippi.

Coal House, the only residence in the world built entirely of coal, is located in White Sulphur Springs. The house was occupied on June 1, 1961.

The world's largest shipment of matches (20 carloads or 210,000,000 matches) was shipped from Wheeling to Memphis, Tennessee, on August 26, 1933.

William Tompkins used natural gas to evaporate salt brine in 1841, thus becoming the first person in the United States to use natural gas for industrial purposes.

The Christian Church was begun in West Virginia by Alexander Campbell in Bethany.

The first brick street in the world was laid in Charleston, West Virginia, on October 23, 1870, on Summers Street, between Kanawha and Virginia Streets.

3 comments:

Thanks for this post! I enjoyed reading it! When I was younger, I lived in West Virginia for over a year, and did the first craft show held on the New River Gorge Bridge. How amazing that Bridge Day now attracts over 100,000 people!

Beautiful block and I appreciate the insights for this block, state history. You are in the home stretch and I'm looking forward to seeing all your beautiful blocks turn into a quilt. Going to be spectacular.

This block struck me as being very pretty. I took a bus trip to West Virginia two years ago with a group of quilters. We crossed the New River Gorge Bridge on a rainy and very foggy day....so I wasn't able to see what I heard was a spectacular view. Perhaps another time I can go.

pinit

About Me

My name is Bea and
I live in NC and I'm an avid quilter and long arm
quilter. I've quilted since 2004, long arm quilted since 2008. I won my first
international quilt show ribbon in 2009 and have won more locally. I was published for the first time in McCall's in Sept 2012
I'm a Stay at home/work at home mom of 4 great kids (14,12, 4 and 1) and I'm originally from
Denmark